Excavator



(No Model.) SI eeeeeeeee et 1.

W. F. RHODES CROUSE.

EXGAV No. 547,030. Patented Oct. 1,1895.

(No Model.-) 2 Sheet-Sheet 2.

- W. 15'. RHODES & c. CROUSE.

EXCAVATR.

No, 547,030. Patented Oct. 1,1895.

ll nrrnn STAlES PATENT @nrrcn.

WILLIAM F. RHODES AND CASPER CROUSE, OF GRAND J UN CTION, MICHIGAN.

EXCAVATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 547,030, dated October 1, 1895.

Application filed March 9, 189 Serial No. 542.401. (No modal.)

T0 au whom it may concern- Be it known that We, WILLIAM F. RHODES and CASPER CROUSE, of Grand Junction, in the connty of Van Buren and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Excavators; and we do hercby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,which Will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which forrn part of this specification.

This invention relates to certain improvemonts in excavators.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved construction of excavator whereby the earth can be quickly and easily loosened and removed and which is particularly adapted for excavating trenches or the like for laying piping or forming conduits.

A further object of the invention is to provide au excavator having a flexible endless carrier provided with buckets and digging knives or projections arranged to loosen the earth in advance of and at the rear edge of each bucket.

A fart-ber object of the invention is to provide au excavator having its endless carrier provided With buckets and formed of links having projecting teeth or digging devices.

A further object of the invention is to provide au improved construction of sprocketwheel wherein the spokes of the pnlley are continued or entend through the rim thereof to forrn the sprockets.

A further object of the invention is to improve certain details in constructions and arrangements of parts whereby a highly-effiaient and durable and effective excavating device is prodnced.

The invention consists in certain novel featurcs of construction and in combinations of parts, more fully and particularly described hereinafter, and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the rinn or boom earrying the endless carrier provided with buckets. Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of several of the links of the endless carrier with the bucket thereon,looking toward the under side of the bucket from the rear end thereof. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective of several of the links, showing the bucket thereon, looking at the bucket from the front upper side thereof. Fig. 4: is a detail perspective of two of the links without the buckets and fas tening means, to show the peculiar manner of bending and forrning the links. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view through one of the pulleys, showing the manner of conducting the same.

In the drawings, a is the swinging or adjustable arm,boom, or frame pivotally joined t0 a movable carriage or truck, (not here shown,) nsually provided with turning means for the endless excavating-carrier sustained by said arm or boom. This boom is usually formed of two parallel beanis or bars, in the lower ends of which the pulley 6 is mounted, so as to extend forwardly beyond the same. The upper ends of these beams are longitudinally slotted at a, and the sliding bearings 0' are arranged therein with plates fitting 0pposite sides of each beam and clamping-bolts.

0 so that the bearing can be adjustable longitudinally of the beams and clamped in the desired position.

0 is the drive-shatt extending through said bearing and provided at its outer end With the driving-pulley Within the beam a With the driving sprocket-pulley 0 d is the endless carrier, traveling on and driven by said pulleys and provided With the buckets 6. This endless carrier is composed of loosely-joined links. Each link is preferably bent from a single rod of metal or heavy wire, so as to be essentially U -shaped in f0rm, with its legs doubled backwardly, so as to embrace the end cross-bar of the next succeeding link. The legs are doubled back almost, if not quite, over a full length of the link to the ends thereot, which extend outwardly or laterally, as shown, and sharpened to form a digging or excavating point or implement f. The clips or other securing means d can be employed to firmly secure the doubled portions of the links together. The cross-bars of the links, each link having a crossbar at its rear end, while its front end loosely embraces the cross-bar of the link in front, each provided With rollers (:1 to rcduce friction and wear.

Each bucket is preferably bent from sheet IOO metal or the like, Wth bottom rear cnds and forwardlyextending sides. The front edges of the sides and bottom can be sharpened, if desired, to form cutting-edges.

Every alternate link is here shown provided With a bncket. The bucket is formed to fit on the link, with its rear end resting against the digging arms or points cxtended ontwardly from the rearend of thelink, and the bucket is secured to the link by suitable clips 6 or any othcr suitable means or devices.

It should be observed that the digging points or ends of the endless carrier project beyond and outside of the path in Which the buckets travel, and that the digging-point, immediately in front of the open end of which thebuckets are bcntand inclined toward each other, so as to dig and loosen the earth immediately in front of the buckct, while the diggingpoint of the links to which the buckets are secured and against which the rear ends of the buckets rest and by which they are braced, preferably extend outwardly Within the sides of the buckcts, so as to move in diierent planes from the digging-point in front of the buckets, whereby the earth is thoroughly loosened and broken open, so as to fill each buckct as it :novcs outwardly and upwardly.

If desired, the buckets can be provided with forwardly-inclined central cutting or digging knives 6 at their rear edges.

Each pnlley preferably has a Wide fiat rim g, prcferably of greater Width than the width of the endless carrier. The spokes h are formed by scveral U-shaped rods or pieces, cxtcnding inwardly through holes in the rim so that the onter curved ends of thcse pieces form the sprocket g, and the legs of the pieces cxtcnd inwardly and radially through the hnb 71 of the pnlley and are suitably secnred by nuts or other means, as shown. The hnb of each pnlley is preferably formed of a tube or cylinder having radial holes for the spokes, and the journalsj are inserted in the ends of the hnb and are preferably provided with transverse holes k, thr0ugh Which said spokes pass, whereby the journals are rigidly locked in position [0 the hnbs. A mostdurable, simple, and clective sprocket pulley is thus formcd.

This device can be very advantageously employed in digging tronches in city streets or elsewhere and for laying scwer, water, or other pipes, or laying conduits. The frameor boom carrying the carrier and pnlleys can be suitably braced by cross-pieces or otherwise rigidly and strongly constructed.

It is evident that various changes might be made in the forms, arrangements, and constructions of the parts described without departing from the spirit and scope of our invention. Hence we do not wish to limit ourselves to the exact construction herein set forth, but consider ourselves cntitled to all such changes as fall within the spirit and scope of onr invention.

Having thus fully described onr invention, what we claim to be new, and desire to securc by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In an excavator, an endless carrier comprisinglooselyjoined links, each link fortncd with outwardly projecting digging ends and every altcrnate link provided with buckets.

2. In an excavator, an endless carrier comprising loosely joined links, each link formed U-shaped with its cnds doubled back to loosely embrace the cross bar et the preceding lin k, and with the extremity turned outwardly to form digging fingers, and bnckets.

3. An excavator having the endless carrier formed t0 loosely joined links, cach link formed of a single rod bent U-shaped and doubled backwardly with its ends turned ontwardly to form digging fingers, and the bunkets, each bncket secured to its link with its 'rear and resting against the digging fingers of its link, each projected outwardly beyond the same, substantially as described.

4. In an excavator an endless carrier having a bucket provided wih a digging point or fingerat its rear end and projccting ontwardly thcrefrom.

5. A sprocket pulley having a rim and a hnb, and the spokes projected ontwardly through the riin to form the sprockets, substantially as described.

G. A sprocket pulley having a rim, a hnb, and the spokes, each spoke forzned of a U- shaped piece passed throngh the rim and secured in the hnb and projecting beyond the rim to form the sprocket, substantially as describcd.

7. A sprocket pulley having a rim, a hollow hnb, the journals inserted in the ends of the hnb, and the U-shaped piece passed through the rim and through the hnb and journals and sccured so as to form sprockets, spokcs, and secure the journals.

8. An endless convoyer formed of loosely joined links with the ends thereof turned outwardly to form digging fingers, substantially as described.

9. An endless convcyer having the outturned fingers, and the buckets secured on some of the links With thcir rear ends bearing against and braced by the fingers of the links carrying the bnckets, substantially as described.

In testimony that we claixn the foregoin as our own we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

VILLIAM F. RHODES. CASPER CROUSE.

\Vitnessesz EDSON D. Romans, DEWEY ROGERS.

IIO 

